The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-12-08
BURIED AT SRA,

...' 0OhIED AT 00As
The ADVANCE some time ago mem
toned the fact that Rev. b. B. Day
ton, brother ~ Banker Dayton, Of
Worthington, had died at sea. Criti-s
oism having arisen as to,the manner of
burial, the New York World gives tho
following concerning burials 1t sea: 4
Rev. B. B. Dayton, of Amboy, n.
Y, while returning from abroad On
denly and his body was buried at sea.
The action OF tue officers III thus dis
posing Of the body gave rise to much
adverse criticism. Some of the passen-
gers said the services were not OF \
becoming nature. This report has
reached the ears Ut the dead mans wife
and family and their friends. In order
that the facts Of the case might be un-
derstood, tue following statement was
made by the officers Ut the ship:
'The body was discovered dead in
the stater0om shout 8 0O'cl0ck Monday
evening. immediately the doctor Of
the shIp made il ready for burial. Al
ter the usual preparations were uR,,de
the remains were laid out aud Ell.
slrouded with al English flag because
that contains cross. Tuesday morn
ing tie body Was sewed up in canvas
and then deposited in II wooden box,
covered over with the flag, Solemnly
and with every evidence Of respect The
Of eight sailors to the after ganRWay.
Chief Officer Seccomb, q humane and
Christian sailor, had charge of the fu-
no "a 80 70 f0VR
after = O'Clock Tuesday morning the
ships officers and large number #
cabin passengers encircled the body
and the funeral services were conduct
ed by a minister, one of the passen.
gers. At their conclusion and when
the minister read the words. II now
consi gn this body to the Deep" the
box. heavily weighted down with iron,
was slid into the ocean. No secrecy
prevailed and everything WAS done in
proper and orderly manner, being
witnessed by any of the passengers 8
who were 80 desirOus.
A burial ut sea is solemn and i'm.
presslve event, and not many passen-
gers like to witness it. A death ut SCI.
casts u gloom over the rest of the pas
seugers, and Oaturally enough the off
SSAo Wy w w C"CA Vuu'k COIUlSVCVCu
with the burial with as little ostenta.
tion and display as possible. On every
steamer the custom is to bury the dead
at sea. The captain of the ship is the
sole arbiter in this matter. Whenever
it is possible the body is carried into
port, providing the officers are con-
vinced that the body will be claimed
upon its arrival. All seamen are firm
supporters of the theory that all per.
sons dying on the high seas, unless Il
short distance from port, should be
given up to the deep. On heavy laden
steamer no room is provided where i
dead body could be possibly preserved.
The medicine chest usually carried
does not contain the necessary articles
required to embAlm II body.
The French and White Star lines
carry metallic cottins. and where the
friends Of " deceased person manifest il
desire or are anxious to undergo the
expense, the body will be preserved and
carried into port it it can be done with
out danger to The other passengers
Numerous cases have occurred Wher.
men ct wealth and dist inct1on travel.
ing for their health have been buried at
sea simply because they We're unaccom-
panied and no evidence Of who they
were conld he obtained. No law exists
as some steamship men claim. that
makes it compulsory n,on the captain
of ship to bury a dead body at sea.